Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

This couldn't even be called a battle... At this moment, he only had this thought in his mind—rather than saying that Tersolis defeated this monster through martial arts, it would be more accurate to say that he calmly slaughtered this thing, without the slightest confusion from beginning to end, just like a butcher who has slaughtered countless strong oxen calmly slits the ox's throat, simply butchering it.

But precisely because of this, he found it even harder to comprehend what was happening before him… No one knew the test subject's power better than him. Even three of the strongest brown bears would be torn apart by it. There shouldn't be anyone in the world capable of dealing with something like this alone! Even an army would have to pay a heavy price to deal with it…

Tersolius did not answer him, but looked thoughtfully at the pile of rotting flesh on the ground... This deadly poison, which could instantly dissolve bone and flesh, was destroying this twisted and pathetic creation every second, turning the piled-up victim's limbs and their former home into putrid mud, which would slowly flow into the sewer through the hole that had been smashed open.

This wasn't the kind of deadly poison that Talina had concocted—he knew very well what those toxins would do, focusing more on instantaneous destruction and death, rather than this kind of horrific corrosive and decomposing process that was almost like a corpse-dissolving liquid... So the answer was clear.

Talina's teacher, Bivis, undoubtedly knows a lot, and these things will certainly answer some of his questions... Fortunately, he will have plenty of time to ask him slowly later.

After receiving no response, the person disguised as Turiars quickly dropped his hysterical act. He remained silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, before bursting into maniacal laughter again, the sound as shrill as a crow being choked.

"Hahahaha!! I get it, I get it, so you were one too, so you were one too!..."

Snapped! !

Before the words were even finished, a dull thud followed, like an inflated balloon being stomped on. The guy's head suddenly exploded, scattering hair, flesh, and bone fragments evenly across every corner, covering the surrounding ground completely. His body convulsed briefly before collapsing to the ground.

This happened so suddenly that even Tersolius hadn't expected it. He looked helplessly at the scene, which had left no trace, and brushed off the blood, flesh, and bone fragments that had stained his armor. It seemed that those rats in the shadows had realized that he had a way to deal with the parasites in the prisoners' minds, and had come up with a new trick: blow up their entire heads, leaving him no chance to take advantage.

As for what that guy finally wanted to say... only heaven knows.

The enormous corpse beside him was visibly collapsing, emitting a pungent, foul stench. Tersolius took two steps forward to his fallen warhorse, reached out and stroked its blood-stained mane, then stood up and looked at the turbulent legion formation.

He had initially thought things would get worse, but now it seemed there was still a chance to salvage the situation... at least no one would bleed needlessly today.

"whole team!"

The loud and authoritative voice pierced the ears of every officer like a sharp awl, carrying an indescribable authority that made them instinctively pause for a moment before hurriedly carrying out orders, reorganizing their formation amidst the clatter of armor and the clatter of footsteps.

This process did not take much time... The Capital Garrison not only had many veterans who had retired from other corps, but also underwent rigorous training. They were not as loose as the capital troops of other countries who had been out of the battlefield for a long time. Discipline was also engraved in the bones of each of them. No matter how panicked or confused they were, they would subconsciously obey the orders of their officers.

And so, the loose formation came together again, and the panicked and confused soldiers returned to their respective hundred-man squads. Seeing their ranks straight again, and seeing that someone had organized them once more, half of the panic in the soldiers' hearts dissipated without them even realizing it, and a solemn and calm atmosphere began to spread rapidly...

Just as chaos is contagious, so too is order. The square, which had been restless since last night, finally fell silent once more. Only an entire legion stood ready, facing the Empire's commander, awaiting the orders that would follow.

Tersolius reached out and untied the leather strap under his helmet, smoothed his hair which had been weighed down by the helmet, and made a gesture toward the distance. Immediately afterwards, Scripps, still covered in blood, along with his student Rostova and eleven senators, walked through the army formation under the protection of their guards. The old man's face was full of exhaustion, but he still mustered his spirits.

Tersolius stepped forward, took Scripps' hand, and helped the old man over, standing beside him. He then turned to look at the emperor on the city wall. Clautina immediately understood, and although she still had some doubts, she did not hesitate in the slightest. In the stillness of the night, she raised her scepter and struck the ground heavily, instantly drawing the attention of all the soldiers.

"Soldiers of the garrison, you must all have witnessed that Turiars intends to rebel, collude with a cult, and plot to assassinate the emperor of the empire... This is an unforgivable and heinous crime, and you who followed him to surround the palace have naturally become entangled in it."

The garrison began to stir again, but this time the commotion far exceeded the previous disturbances. The mere presence of Tersolius was enough to subdue many of the impulsive men like lambs. After this brief pause, the emperor spoke again:

"However, while the laws of the Empire are strict, they cannot implicate the innocent, especially those who have been lured and deceived into committing crimes. You have done everything a soldier should do, obeyed the orders of your legion commander, and tried to protect the safety of the Empire and the Emperor with your own strength. For this, you should not be criticized..."

The emperor's scepter struck the ground once more, and with a crisp echo, he delivered his verdict:

"Therefore, I hereby pardon your offenses of last night! Apart from those who colluded with the traitor Turials, none of you should be considered guilty. You remain the glorious force protecting this city, and the imperial soldiers guarding the palace and the emperor!!"

As soon as the words were spoken, after a brief pause, a huge uproar immediately broke out. The soldiers' worries vanished instantly, and they raised their weapons and cheered loudly, banging their shields in unison to praise the emperor's wisdom and benevolence.

Amidst the deafening cheers, Scripps struggled to regain his balance, took two steps forward, and appeared in everyone's sight, his loud and steady voice resonating through the surrounding air:

"I, Scripps, the Chief Elder of the Empire, represent the Senate in supporting His Majesty's decision and, at this moment, affirm its sacred and inviolable significance, just as every law of honor in our great nation dictates. No one may raise objections or dissent after this decision; otherwise, it will be considered a challenge to the Empire!"

The soldiers' cheers grew louder and louder, almost to the point of straining their voices. Many of them had flushed red, instinctively realizing that they had witnessed something extraordinary and important... but they were too excited to react yet. Meanwhile, the chief elder exchanged a glance with the emperor and, with a slow and bitter nod, conveyed some information to the emperor.

"And now, under Your Majesty's witness, I hereby declare that the most serious rebellion in the Empire's history of a hundred years has taken place! Members of the Senate, including Dolius, Salios... have betrayed the country and the Emperor, abandoned their former honors, and they and their families have become enemies of the state! I hereby request Your Majesty to strip them of their status and power, for they are no longer worthy of this honor."

The emperor nodded calmly.

“If they have truly participated in this rebellion, I will naturally show no mercy and will ensure that all those who betray the country receive the punishment they deserve… Now, I declare that the country has entered a state of crisis, and we must quickly quell the rebellion and destroy the armies of these ambitious men—I hereby entrust this matter entirely to you, General Tersolius.”

Tersolius bowed his head in salute, and the garrison immediately fell silent, everyone watching intently at this important moment... Many had already realized that their familiar lives were about to undergo tremendous changes.

At least, the opportunity to make a name for themselves that many of them have always longed for seems to be just around the corner... no longer as unattainable as it used to be.

………………

tick tock...tick tock...

Blood trickled down his wrist, rolled across his pale skin, and finally fell from his fingertips into the soil, hitting tiny pebbles along the way with a barely audible sound.

Quack quack quack!! ———

Red-eyed crows perch on treetops, watching menacingly—these scavengers are often the first to discover the death of a creature, even waiting around before it has breathed its last breath, and are therefore regarded as an ominous symbol of death.

rustling sounds~~——

The fat rats scurried among the broken cartwheels and smashed boxes, carefully avoiding predators while secretly licking the blood off the ground with their tiny tongues and gnawing on the fingers and toes of the dead. Carnivores roaming the surrounding forest were also drawn in, trying to join this unexpected feast.

This is a forest path that winds through the woods. It is well-constructed and sturdy, but because it is off the main road, it is not lavishly paved with flagstones and pebbles. It can still be muddy on rainy days. However, the mud here has nothing to do with rainwater, but is purely from being soaked in blood.

Death swept through this stretch of road like a whirlwind, with torn limbs and severed bodies everywhere. The victims' stiff, pale faces still bore the lingering fear that had seeped into their very bones, as if they had been chased and torn apart by demons that had crawled out of hell. The foul-smelling blood and entrails flowed on the ground, attracting mosquitoes and rodents.

At the edge of the road, around a bend, the last survivor of the group was struggling to survive in the forest...

His legs had lost all strength, and he could only move forward little by little by using the strength of his waist and abdomen and his elbows, looking as ridiculous as a caterpillar crawling on the ground.

The footsteps behind him pounded on his heart like a death knell, making him grit his teeth and crawl forward in vain, gripping the roadside weeds with his bloodied hands—even though it was destined to be futile, he still instinctively wanted to do so, as if his body was subconsciously trying to escape that presence.

But it was all in vain... A side kick as heavy as a warhammer sent him tumbling over like a dead dog. What came into view was an extremely ominous black robe and a gray undergarment. Two sharp blades emitting a green glow were dazzling and suffocating. There was not a trace of blood on them, but they were still too dangerous to look at.

He opened his mouth instinctively, wanting to say something, but found his gaze rapidly shifting upwards and outwards, rendering him speechless—the severed head was being carefully examined in his hand. After a long while, the leader of the henchmen sighed regretfully and tossed the severed head away.

"...another stand-in."

This was still not Turiars, the leader of the rebellion, but she would not be discouraged in the slightest—now that she had received her lord's orders, she would not give up the pursuit until she had taken that person's head… She believed that she was getting closer and closer to her true goal.

448 The Rebels (2)

"I'm ready to hear what you have to say."

In the audience hall of the emperor's palace, Clautina sat on her throne with a smile on her face, supporting her temple with her right hand, her magnificent gold leaf crown slightly askew.

Standing before the emperor was Tersolius, who still hadn't removed his armor, nor even his weapons. His blood-stained boots left a trail of footprints on the ground, and servants outside were cleaning up the marks he had made.

He would never have been so rude under normal circumstances, but now they didn't have time to bother with such trivial matters; there was a huge mess to clean up or suppress.

"It's very simple, Your Majesty. At that time, the troops I brought were exhausted, and then the rebel cavalry attacked. So I had my men wait for the others to enter the city first, while I led the cavalry to scatter the attacking enemy... I had anticipated that Lord Scripps would not stand aside under such circumstances. He would have to get involved no matter what, so I naturally made arrangements in that regard... However, I did not expect that the actual situation would be like this."

"Lord Tersolius, Your Majesty, let this old man explain the details."

Scripps, whose injuries had already been treated, hadn't had time to change his clothes. His elegant white robe was covered in bright bloodstains, a shocking sight, but not enough to be life-threatening... This was because the people who had captured him didn't intend to kill the old man, but Scripps had drawn his blade and fought back. In the chaos, he had sustained quite a few cuts.

The emperor nodded slightly, and Tersolius naturally did not object—after all, even though he had already heard the old man's explanation, it was only a brief exchange in an emergency, and naturally could not compare to the clarity of what the person involved said.

"...Just as I just told you in front of everyone, Your Majesty, more than half of the members of the Senate could no longer contain their ambitions and became traitors who intended to assassinate the Emperor and start a war. Although I had some prior knowledge of this, I was not able to avoid the subsequent attack."

“It had been three days since my student and I fell into their control. I received an invitation to a meeting, and I was also interested in finding out some information and testing the thoughts of a few key people... I also thought that even if the situation changed, it wouldn't deteriorate to that extent in a short time, so I didn't even call any guards and just took my student there.”

"Looking back now, I was indeed too careless... I didn't expect them to have secretly colluded to that extent, and I didn't expect so many people to have broken free from my control... They were already angry and resentful about the power they were gradually losing, and they were no longer the people who were united under me, the chief elder, to try to oppose the emperor."

At this point, the old man's expression became somewhat melancholy... and Tersolius and the emperor could understand the old man's thoughts.

...In a sense, Scripps was always a man full of ideals, and his ideals were exactly the most beautiful vision of the future of the country that the emperor who established the imperial system had for the country—a unified country, a country with highly centralized power, with strong organizational capabilities and an elite army, where the emperor's power, though great, could be checked and balanced, and outstanding individuals who had made outstanding contributions would become elders to contribute their strength and wisdom in order to maintain the stability and prosperity of the entire country.

Scripps dedicated his entire life to this goal. His wish was to see the country prosper and be stable. Having witnessed firsthand the devastation a mad tyrant could inflict on a nation, he was even more convinced of the importance of the Senate and devoted his life to it.

Before this event actually happened, he had never doubted his path, and the prosperity and strength of the country filled him with heartfelt joy. Despite his frail old age, he diligently devoted himself to his work, contributing to the country's development...

The reason why Tersolius's legions were able to establish administrative institutions and maintain a considerable degree of stability in the lands they conquered so quickly was due to the efforts of the chief senator. Only the wisdom and experience of this old man could have accomplished such a feat.

But now, some members of the Senate have shown him through their actions that their control over the situation is far less stable than he had imagined, and that their desire and ambition for power are far more complex than he knew.

Now, if their rebellion succeeds, the damage it will inflict on the empire will be no less than that of any previous tyrant... and may even be worse, plunging the entire country into a crisis of destruction in the worst-case scenario.

“After a brief conversation, I noticed something was amiss—they were probing my thoughts, and for some audacious purpose… I realized then that things were going badly, but it was too late to extricate myself.”

"Then, Turials appeared before me, claiming that he also possessed the blood of the emperor and was equally qualified to become emperor... and promised me more power and wealth, hoping that I would support their arrogant ambitions."

“At first, I tried to get more information from them to know their specific plans and intentions, but the traitors were very cautious and quickly realized that I was not going to collude with them... So in the end, all I could do was draw my sword and put up a final act of resistance. But even I didn’t expect that they would not kill me directly, but instead imprison both of us.”

At this point, Scripps' eyes narrowed dangerously:

“They may have other schemes up their sleeves, but at least on this point they’ve been incredibly foolish… Things would have been very different if my throat hadn’t been slit.”

"Of course, we now face a crucial problem – the roads near the capital have been cut off, and at least three legions have been confirmed to have rebelled… we cannot rule out the possibility of more. We need to deal with the immediate crisis first."

After saying this, the old man seemed a little tired. He raised his right hand to rub his temples and even leaned his back against the ornately carved marble pillar next to him without any regard for his manners, letting out long and deep breaths.

Tesolius raised his head and met the emperor's gaze. Their tacit understanding, honed from childhood, quickly allowed them to grasp each other's thoughts. After a brief exchange, Tesolius spoke first:

"The situation is critical now. We absolutely cannot risk being completely trapped in the capital. We must take control of the situation immediately. Therefore, we cannot hold out in the capital and wait for reinforcements. To do this, we must first defeat the enemy that is currently threatening the capital."

Scripps nodded slightly:

"If it's just about defense, the capital's garrison and the city's strategic location are enough to easily handle ten times the number of enemies. But this city has hundreds of thousands of people who consume massive amounts of food every day... Moreover, this rebellion came completely out of the blue, and our current reserves won't last long. There will be big chaos afterward."

"Therefore, perhaps we should make a firm decision and invoke a special law." The emperor sat up straight, his expression equally serious.

"The capital may not have enough food reserves to supply all the residents for a long time, but the well-equipped military equipment stored in the arsenal is enough to arm five more legions."

"But we don't have enough reserve troops right now...you mean?"

Scripps quickly realized what was going on, and the Emperor and Tersolius nodded without hesitation.

“We don’t need five legions; one more legion will suffice,” Tersolius said calmly.

"And as far as I know, the number of people who have received military training and served in the Imperial Capital is far more than just one legion; we even have room to select them."

........................

How long is a night? ... In the past, Bosdor would have said it was insignificant, or even that the night was too short. After a busy day, he would have to keep working as soon as he opened his eyes to keep his business afloat.

Unlike many of his peers, Bosdo enjoys a comfortable life and is even willing to occasionally indulge in the luxury of temporarily setting aside opportunities to make money, allowing himself a day or two to rest. And a good night's sleep, where he can wake up to the aroma of food, is naturally the best thing ever.

But today, Bosideng found himself eagerly anticipating the arrival of daylight, hoping that the rooster in his neighbor's house would crow loudly to announce the appearance of the sun.

Countless people share his sentiment; what happened last night felt like a chaotic and dangerous nightmare… Just thinking about it is enough to send chills down one's spine, like someone standing on a ship seeing a massive whirlpool beneath the surface of the sea, powerful enough to swallow mountains…

Although he had not experienced it firsthand, his father and grandfather understood very well what would happen in that city under such circumstances... When he was young, he did not take it seriously, but after more than ten years of hard work and experience in the city, he had engraved those pure teachings into his very bones.

That's why, when he realized something was wrong, he immediately abandoned his cart and goods, fled back home, and hid with his family in the cellar behind the house, anxiously waiting for the night to pass.

Of course, daylight doesn't necessarily mean safety, but at least he has more ways to get information. Unlike when it's pitch black and you can't see anything, running around in the dark at that time could easily lead to being chopped up by either side, and you would just die like a fool.

Of course, if possible—even if there's only a sliver of a chance—he'd prefer his car to still be there, so he could at least get the goods back intact. Otherwise, he wouldn't want to lose such a large sum of money for no reason…it could even leave his family destitute.

He endured the ordeal until dawn. As always, the rooster crowed precisely on time. Bosdor had made up his mind. He calmed his wife and children, quietly climbed up the ladder and climbed out of the cellar. Then he carefully covered the place up, went to the wardrobe and found the most tattered and inconspicuous clothes. Only then did he sneak away from his home along the most secluded path.

He hadn't forgotten how to tiptoe when he served as a scout in the legion... but he no longer had the ambition and cunning of that time... Back then, he wasn't brave or fierce enough, but he was quick-witted and cunning enough to have the life he had now.

So he followed a side path, one that no one familiar with the area would ever know, all the way to the place where he had abandoned his goods the day before. Clinging to a last shred of hope, he thought he could bring the goods back and, incidentally, find out what had happened…

He remained vigilant and cautious throughout the journey, never allowing himself to be exposed in open or unprotected areas, and carefully probing every turn... The city he had lived in for so long seemed to have instantly transformed into a perilous primeval forest, requiring him to be constantly on edge.

Finally, after carefully rounding a street corner and crossing the third intersection along the shop porch, he arrived at the place he had scouted the day before—near the market entrance, where he later parked his cargo cart in the corner of the alley.

But as soon as he stepped into the alley, a chill ran through him... Just as he had anticipated the worst-case scenario, the cart was still inside, but it had been overturned on the ground, and the valuable furs inside that could fetch a price had long since vanished!

Forcibly suppressing his urge to curse, and clinging to the last glimmer of hope, he took two steps forward and reached under the car. He felt a protruding wooden knot, and with a gentle pull, he immediately opened the panel disguised as the bottom of the car. After groping around inside for a while, he quickly pulled out a bulging money bag.

Finding his fur was impossible; in the dark, who could know who had taken it? There was simply no way to trace it… only the income he had accumulated before remained. This offered him some solace; he felt the current situation was barely acceptable, though he knew he would likely face a period of hardship from now on.

Just as he was feeling disheartened and preparing to go home and make further plans, the growing noise from the street outside caught his attention, prompting him to hesitate briefly before deciding to go and investigate…

449 The Rebels (3)

The spacious and bright streets have always been a source of pride for the people of the Empire, especially those who have traveled to other countries and experienced it firsthand. No matter how large the population of other countries' capitals may be, they can never plan such beautiful and orderly roads and set up such a well-developed and reasonable sewer system in a city with a population of hundreds of thousands as the Empire has. The mountains of dung and the crowded and deformed roads and blocks outside the city walls are the norm for them.

Walking on such roads, you don't have to worry about stepping in feces or sinking into mud. You also don't have to worry about smelly piles of dung and flies swarming around your nose. Apart from dust, nothing else will soil your shoes, allowing you to walk briskly and easily throughout the entire city.

On such roads, even livestock are strictly required to have a cloth bag over their rear ends; otherwise, if horse or cow dung contaminates the ground, the owner will be punished.

Dumping feces and garbage indiscriminately is seen as a provocation against urban order, and three to five smooth wooden stakes buried deep in the ground in each block will come in handy at this time—all you need is a leather rope that you carry with you, and any soldier can teach him a lesson with his whip and stick.

Over the long years, every citizen of this city has become accustomed to abiding by the laws that seem harsh to outsiders, allowing them to live a decent and comfortable life here, and also habitually maintaining the cleanliness and brightness of the city.

Such order and grandeur, coupled with its pristine cleanliness, is a profound shock to visitors and a great convenience for the city's residents. They are spared the sanitation and health problems caused by stinking piles of excrement and garbage. They can move about in an orderly fashion on wide roads, passing through with ease, and quickly gather at any given time.

Halfway there, Bosdo noticed the gradually gathering crowd. The streets and alleys were no longer as deserted as when he had just arrived. Under these circumstances, trying to hide alone in those corners would only make him stand out and look like a scoundrel.

So he chose a place where the crowd was a little sparse, making it easy to escape at any time, and slowly followed the flow of people forward—he also wanted to see what was going on, and since so many people had gathered on their own, there should be no danger.

Of course, it's best to test the waters first...

He glanced around out of the corner of his eye and quickly picked out a kind-looking middle-aged man. The man had short, curly hair, a round nose, and a broad chin that made him look very honest and easy to talk to.

"Sir, do you know what happened? I just saw a lot of people coming over to see what was going on, and I have no idea what's going on at all."

The middle-aged man paused slightly before realizing that the man was speaking to him. Then, just as Bosdor had predicted, he gave him a very kind reply:

"I heard the captain's summons while I was hiding at home... I heard that His Majesty is safe and sound, the turmoil last night has been completely quelled, and there are important announcements to be made, so I quickly came out of the house."